The Global Golfer · Course Intelligence · Messinia · Navarino Hills
The Hills Course — Costa Navarino
Location: Navarino Hills, Messinia, Greece
Design: José María Olazábal
Par: 72
Back-tee length: 6,280 metres
Course type: Elevated resort / hillside
Access: Resort golf; tee-time availability, operating hours and playing conditions should be confirmed for the travel dates.
The Hills Course is the second José María Olazábal layout at Navarino Hills and completes Costa Navarino’s four-course golf offer. It occupies elevated Messinian terrain above the bay, with a more rural inland character than the waterfront sections of The Bay Course and a different visual rhythm from The Dunes Course below.
Why play The Hills Course
The Hills Course works particularly well as the final round in a Costa Navarino Course Swing because it gives golfers another elevated Olazábal test without simply repeating the International Olympic Academy Golf Course. The setting is broad and open, the terrain influences stance and club choice, and the course rewards controlled approaches rather than treating length as the only challenge.
Course character
- Hillside setting: elevated ground creates wide views across rural Messinia and a clear contrast with the lower resort courses.
- Position over power: changes in elevation and angles make placement and approach control important throughout the round.
- Wind and exposure: conditions can change quickly on the more open ground, affecting trajectory and club selection.
- Mixed-group play: multiple tees help the course work for different abilities, but tee choice matters because the back-tee distance is a substantial 6,280 metres.
Practice and operations
The Hills Course shares the Navarino Hills golf environment with the International Olympic Academy Golf Course. Costa Navarino’s current operating information lists both courses from 08:00 to sunset, the golf reception from 07:00 to 19:00 and the driving range from 07:30 to 18:00. Complimentary shuttle services connect Navarino Hills with The Dunes Course. Seasonal changes should be checked directly before travel.
Build a Costa Navarino Course Swing
- 1 · The Dunes Course: begin with the original signature course and the destination’s most established golf identity.
- 2 · The Bay Course: move into a shorter, more positional round through Seaside, Canyon and Grove landscapes.
- 3 · International Olympic Academy Golf Course: step up to the longer Navarino Hills challenge and broad bay views.
- 4 · The Hills Course: finish with the second Olazábal design and a more rural elevated setting.
Because all four signature Costa Navarino courses sit within a compact destination footprint, a complete four-course itinerary is practical. For golfers playing on consecutive days, alternate the more demanding Hills rounds with lighter recovery, spa or practice time so the trip does not become four long playing days in succession.
Stay · Play · Recover
The Hills Course is best treated as part of the wider Costa Navarino stay rather than as a single-course excursion. Resort accommodation, dining and wellness across the destination make it easy to combine the round with recovery and non-golf time. A strong itinerary uses the Hills Course either as the final competitive round or as the second half of a two-course Navarino Hills day split by rest and practice.
Checked 18 September 2026. Course facts and operating information are based on Costa Navarino’s current official Navarino Hills material. Tee-time access, seasonal hours, shuttle frequency and package inclusions should be reconfirmed directly before committing to non-refundable travel. The Global Golfer’s editorial guidance is independent.